The disappearance of a Russian tanker laden with crude oil from the custody of Nigerian authorities is a national embarrassment, the head of the parliamentary committee investigating the case said on Sunday.
The MT African Pride was seized last October by the Nigerian navy along with 13 Russian sailors on suspicion of smuggling, but disappeared last month along with its cargo of 11 300 tonnes of crude oil.
The disappearance of the ship is ”to say the least, a national embarrassment. It is an episode that belonged to the old Nigeria,” said Anthony Aziegbemi, chairperson of the parliamentary committee investigating the affair, in a statement published in the Sunday Tribune newspaper.
In the commission’s hearings the Nigerian navy and police have been trading blame for the ship’s disappearance.
”The committee is resolved to get to the bottom of the disappearance of this ship … The rule of law should catch up with anybody no matter how highly placed…” said Aziegbemi.
Azigbemi said last week that another detained ship, the MT Jimoh, might have also gone missing, but was not yet certain whether it contained crude oil.
According to officials of the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, about 30 000 barrels of crude oil are lost every day to fuel thieves.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil exporter, derives more than 95% of its foreign exchange earnings from oil.
Up to 60 suspected fuel thieves died on Thursday in a fuel pipeline blast on the outskirts of Lagos. – Sapa-AFP